Success Stories

San Leandro: Turning 2000 Acres of Old Factories and Warehouses Into A Next-Generation Work District For Manufacturing

Business Street developed an industrial revitalization strategy, and a slogan to go with it, “We make things”, that has put the city on the map as a major Bay Area center for tangible tech. Besides a constellation of 3D printing companies, the district has also drawn 21st Amendment, one of the country’s major craft breweries.

Chapel Hill: Creating A Start-Up Scene Downtown

Home to the country's oldest public university, UNC, Chapel Hill is one of the world's major health care research centers. But for more than 40 years most of the jobs involved in developing this research into new drugs and biotech products has gone to the nearby Research Triangle Park. Business Street has helped the town create a commercial development strategy to lure back these jobs, one that involves better branding, telling its story, creating room for business, and resetting the town/ gown relationship. Business Street's prioritized action in a new downtown development strategy, and counseled the town on the dollars and sense of parking garages needed to support new employers. Business Street has become a trusted advisor to both the staff and the town council.

UC Davis: Creating A New Place For Industry/Academic Collaboration

Business Street developed a new model for working with industry to backfill lost state funding. Business Street reached out to research directors at some of the world’s top food companies to identify a new model of collaboration, and then coupled this with new concepts borrowed from some of the world’s most innovative work places.

Kenmore, WA: Turning Around A Town Center Development

For years this community had sought to remake its core, drawing life and investment back there. Business Street restarted the effort, focusing on just a few priorities, and then took the property to market. Less than a year later the land was under contract to with one of the region’s leading developers. Today there are apartments up and leasing, a town green and longhouse-style gathering place under construction, and plans in review to break ground for a medical clinic and office building.

Surrey, BC: Turning A Dead Mall Into A Technology Center

On behalf of the Province of British Columbia, Rod created the reuse strategy and carried out the due diligence investigations for the acquisition and updating of this property. Today the center is the downtown for the province’s biggest suburb, IBM’s regional headquarters, the major branch of Simon Fraser University, and home to a new library — all at a Skytrain stop.